Fresh Tensions Erupt at Owode Motor Spare Parts Market Despite Court Order


 





Tensions flared once again at the Owode Motor Spare Parts Market in Lagos early Thursday morning as alleged landgrabbers, accompanied by heavily armed policemen and thugs, reportedly stormed the market and began a renewed wave of demolitions, despite a standing court injunction.


According to traders at the scene, the early morning operation involved the use of caterpillars to demolish shops, while police operatives fired shots into the air to disperse resisting market occupants. Several traders were allegedly injured in the fracas, with pictorial and video evidence said to support the claims.




This incident follows an earlier raid on March 6, 2025, when over 500 shops were demolished, sparking widespread protests and a formal petition submitted to both the Lagos State House of Assembly and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on March 27. With no governmental intervention forthcoming, affected traders turned to the courts.


The case, B.I. Olowu vs Shomolu and Kosofe Local Governments (Suit No. ID/1757/1994), is currently before an Ikeja High Court, which on June 2 issued an injunction ordering all parties to maintain the status quo pending the next hearing scheduled for July 2, 2025.


Activist and human rights advocate Comrade Alex Omotehinse has appealed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Moshood Jimoh, to intervene immediately. “This is a clear violation of the rule of law,” said Omotehinse, stressing that continued police involvement in defiance of a court order threatens public peace and erodes confidence in legal institutions.


Traders fear that if the demolitions are not halted promptly, there could be a breakdown of law and order. Community leaders are calling on police authorities to investigate the actions of the officers involved and ensure justice is served.


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